Tick-bite risk near bush and beach

Lyme disease ” a potentially fatal illness contracted through tick bites ” is controversial because it is not recognised as a diagnosis in the wider medical community.

Association spokeswoman Rebecca Vary said there had been a rise in tick- bite reports close to the coast and near bushland.

‘People at risk of exposure should cover up their skin with light-coloured clothing pre-sprayed with permethrin, tuck trousers into socks and wear a hat to avoid ticks dropping from branches,’ she said.

During May, Perth landmarks will glow green for Lyme Disease Awareness month. Lyme patients will gather at the Perth Cultural Centre on May 17 to view US documentary Under Our Skin, which they say could save people years of unnecessary suffering.